Fever
by tastewithouttalent
Summary: "Leorio has been idly staring at Kurapika since they all rejoined on the airship, and so he is watching when all the blood drains out of the blond's face." Interlude set between episodes 58 and 59.


Leorio sees the moment when the dizziness hits. He's watching Kurapika's face as the blond speaks to Gon and Killua, has been idly staring at the other man since they all rejoined on the airship, and so he is watching when all the blood drains out of the other's face. Gon and Killua have retreated to a corner to whisper together, and Kurapika is just turning back to move to the front of the airship. Then he pauses, his face goes utterly pale, and he starts to lift his chain-wrapped hand to touch his forehead with the slow-motion care of illness.

Leorio catches him as he goes over, legs folding under him like they can't support his own weight.

"Kurapika!" The name tears out of his throat in a wave of panic in that first moment of the limp body hitting his arms. Between the space of two breaths Leorio has enough time for his heart to stutter over a beat of cold terror, over the possibility that Kurapika's self-made contract has somehow been broken and that he's holding a body instead of a living person.

Then Kurapika moves, blinks and reaches a hand up to clutch at Leorio's shoulder, and Leorio takes a gasping breath of relief.

"Leorio." The blond's face creases in confusion and he blinks twice before his eyes clear into focus proper. "What - I don't know what happened."

"You just collapsed," Leorio offers without releasing his hold. Kurapika's fingers are solid on his shoulder, strangely weighted with his Nen-formed chains, but his face is still far paler than it should be. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Mm." Kurapika blinks again and tries to sit up; Leorio lets him but keeps supporting the majority of the blond's weight. Killua and Gon are over his shoulder, hovering in the moment of shared worry, but all Leorio's focus is on the man in his arms. "Everything is spinning a little."

"A little?" Leorio repeats back, amused in spite of himself.

Kurapika smiles. "Yes. Nothing to worry about, right?"

"Of course." Leorio steadies Kurapika's shoulders with one hand so he can free the other to press against the blond's forehead. Kurapika shuts his eyes at the contact, and this close Leorio can see the shadows collecting under the curve of his eyelashes and the purple color to his eyelids. His forehead is hot, burning under Leorio's fingers with more than just the sparkling reaction of adrenaline that touching Kurapika usually brings.

"You have a fever," Leorio declares without moving his hand. Some of the blood is coming back into Kurapika's face, tinging his cheeks faintly pink again, but he still looks pale and exhausted, now that Leorio is looking. "Have you been sleeping well?"

"Ah." Kurapika smiles to himself. "No. I've had other things on my mind."

"I'm sure." Leorio finally drops his hand, but he keeps his arm against Kurapika's back where it is. "Well you're properly sick now. It's hard to fight off infections when you're pushing yourself to your limits, Kurapika."

"I couldn't do anything else," Kurapika returns, but he tips in towards Leorio's chest so his head is resting against the other's shirt. His voice is slower than usual, slightly blurred between the words. "There wasn't time."

"You'll have to take the time to recover now," Leorio says. Kurapika's hair is catching on his coat; when he tips his head down his mouth brushes over the strands. "Lucky for you you've got a doctor around."

"Lucky me," Kurapika agrees. He's smiling, now, and his hold slides from Leorio's shoulder down to grip a handful of the other's lapel. "You smell good."

Leorio smiles, half-laughs. "You're delirious."

"No, you do." Kurapika insists. "Gon was right, your cologne is really distinctive."

"It is," Gon puts in from over Leorio's shoulder. Leorio had forgotten he was there; when he looks back Gon is watching Kurapika with faint concern in his eyes. But Killua is staring at Leorio, his expression so neutral Leorio starts flushing under his gaze more than would have from a raised eyebrow. Killua's mouth twists into a smile, and then he blinks and looks down at Gon, and Leorio is able to get his reaction under control.

"Come on," he says to the unresponsive blond leaning against him. "We'll get you into bed so you can get some rest."

"No," Kurapika mumbles against his coat. "No, I can't, I have...things to do…"

"No," Leorio says against his hair. "No, you need to rest. Everything will be okay, I promise."

Kurapika makes a whining noise that sounds like a protest, but when Leorio picks him up he doesn't fight it, and once the taller man has him settled across a pair of seats with his head in Leorio's lap he drifts off into almost-unconsciousness almost instantly.

"Will he be okay?"

That is from Gon, standing in front of them and looking down at the exhaustion in Kurapika's face. Killua is over his shoulder, looking at Leorio again rather than Kurapika, and it is to Killua that Leorio ends up speaking.

"He should be," Leorio says with no evidence to back him up. "He needs to rest, really. If we can keep him in bed he'll have the best chance at recovery."

"We will," Killua says with an edge of aggressive certainty under his voice. "He's no help to anyone if he's sick." He takes Gon's sleeve to pull him away to the window, leaving Leorio more or less alone with Kurapika.

Kurapika is very tired. It's clear to see now that Leorio has thought to look for it and has a moment to really look. The chains that have been everpresent for days are gone along with Kurapika's hold on consciousness, but the lines of tension still cling to his forehead and the corners of his eyes. They fade a little when Leorio trails his fingers through the blond hair grown long with the months apart, though not entirely. After a moment he leans down to press his mouth against the crease in Kurapika's forehead, entirely careless of whether either Killua or Gon is watching him.

Kurapika makes a plaintive noise in the back of his throat. When Leorio pulls back, the focused stress is still there in his face, but he is smiling too, a hint of pleasure at the edge of his lips, and that's enough.


End file.
